Travel resolutions: Don’t obsess over cost (No. 5)

(Editor’s note: Just as we could all lose a little weight, spend less money or give up smoking, there are things that we as travelers could be doing better. Here’s the sixth of our 10 Travel Resolutions for 2013. Everything on the list requires almost no effort, but will make you a better traveler. — Spud Hilton, editor)

The British woman on the sun deck had been grousing for a good hour about how much she had paid for the cruise compared to how much some other passengers said they spent. I heard the same woman with the same whine in two or three other spots on the ship during the week.

It seemed to me there were two possibilities:
a) She didn’t realize that, by obsessing over the cost, she was losing at least $10-$20 per waking hour complaining about paying more instead of, oh, say, relaxing and enjoying herself;
b) That continual whining about not getting the best price might be how she relaxes and enjoys herself.

Either way, it’s needless, negative and, well, just stupid. It’s fine if you enjoy complaining, but try to consider the poor people who are stuck listening to you — who might be trying to relax and enjoy themselves in the more common ways of doing that.

The bigger point is this: Once you’ve paid the money for a trip, forget it. Thinking about it just gets in the way of experiencing the place, the people, the culture and the relaxing that you paid to experience. Yes, you’d like to believe you’re getting your money’s worth out of the trip, but if you’re spending all your time worrying about it, I can pretty much guarantee you’re not getting your money’s worth out of the trip.

Similarly, don’t fixate on how much you pay along the way. It’s great to get a bargain, but try to keep it in perspective on the road. Here’s a quote from travel author Tim Cahill, from “Hold the Enlightenment”:

“Unfortunately, too many people who think of themselves as ‘world travelers’ become obsessed with money. It’s loathsome to see some young trekker arguing for an hour with an elderly woman over a 15-cent charge for an afternoon of washing clothes.”

“Too often money, and the process of saving money, becomes the entire point of traveling. If the nature of your quest is financial, stay home and get into arbitrage.”